After the highs of Jurgen Klopp’s dynasty, the transition to Arne Slot has exposed frailties: a porous midfield, blunt wide attacks, and full-back instability. Sitting fourth in the Premier League and out of Europe, the Reds have conceded 47 goals in 34 matches.
Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson’s impending exit underline the urgency. To transform next season, Liverpool must target three players: Adam Wharton for defensive steel, Yan Diomande for wide flair, and Julian Ryerson for versatile full-back cover. These signings could restore balance and propel the Reds to greater heights.
Liverpool’s greatest Achilles’ heel lies in midfield, where the absence of a specialist defensive midfielder (DM) has unravelled the team’s structure. Slot’s 4-2-3-1 demands a pivot to shield the back four and break opposition transitions, yet the Reds lack one. Ryan Gravenberch, repurposed as a DM, has averaged 1.2 tackles per 90 minutes, solid but not elite, and his progressive passing (6.8 per 90) suffers amid constant defensive duels. He’s been dribbled past 1.8 times per game, exposing Virgil van Dijk to 12% more through-balls than last season.
Enter Adam Wharton, Crystal Palace’s 22-year-old linchpin, who could be the ideal fix. The former Blackburn prodigy has anchored Palace’s rise to mid-table security, starting 27 Premier League games, recording 92% pass accuracy and 2.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per 90. His 6’3″ frame excels in duels (68% won), and he ranks in the top 5% of Europe’s midfielders for progressive passes under pressure (7.2 per 90).
Logically, Wharton slots into the anchor role, freeing Gravenberch to roam as a No. 8, his natural habitat. Wharton wouldn’t just tighten the defence, he’d elevate the Dutchman’s output, turning a weakness into a launchpad for Slot’s fluid transitions.
With Salah’s departure looming—his goals and assists masking a squad-wide creative drought, Liverpool’s right flank will lose its wizardry. Cody Gakpo, shifted wide, has managed just 8 goals and 6 assists, with a dismal 0.9 key passes per 90 and zero successful take-ons against top-half defences.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, a 19-year-old Ivorian explosive, embodies the unpredictability Arne Slot craves. Bursting onto the scene with 22 goal contributions in 2025-26 (Bundesliga and cups), the ex-Nordsjælland speedster averages 3.4 successful dribbles per 90 (top 2% among wingers) and 2.1 key passes. His 35% conversion rate on take-ons shreds full-backs. At 5’11” with blistering pace (top speed 35.8 km/h), Diomande thrives in half-spaces, inverting like Salah while cutting inside lethally (right-footed on the left).
Unlike Gakpo, who’s better centrally, Diomande adds the flair Liverpool desperately needs post-Salah, turning toothless attacks into a whirlwind. Slot’s Feyenoord success with wing wizards like Calvin Stengs suggests a seamless fit.
Injuries have ravaged Liverpool’s full-backs: Jeremie Frimpong missed 25 games with hamstring issues, Conor Bradley 29 with hamstring, muscle and knee injuries.
Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Ryerson, 28, offers a dynamic solution: a Norwegian international who covers both flanks with elite athleticism, winning 62% of duels and delivering 1.8 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per 90 across positions. His 88% pass accuracy and 4.1 progressive carries underline versatility. Ryerson’s crossing (2.1 per 90, 28% accuracy) would feed Isak and Ekitike.
Ryerson provides rotation without blocking academy prospects like Bradley. He’d spell Frimpong on the right, cover left post-Robertson, and enable a back-three pivot in Europe. In a squad prone to fixture pile-ups, Ryerson’s two-footed reliability transforms a crisis into strength.
Wharton, Diomande, and Ryerson, together, address Liverpool’s core issues: midfield fragility, wide sterility, and full-back brittleness. Wharton anchors, Diomande dazzles, Ryerson rotates – unlocking Gravenberch, revitalising Gakpo centrally, and fortifying Slot’s evolution.
This isn’t tinkering; it’s transformation. Liverpool finished 2024-25 as champions; 2025-26 demands redemption. With FSG’s data-driven savvy, these moves could vault them back to title contention. The Kop faithful deserve no less.
